Head of Catholic Charities has a passion for social justice

TRENTON — If you or a loved one has received social services ranging from behavioral health to emergency financial assistance, it is likely that you benefited from the work of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton and its executive director Marlene Lao-Collins. With over 600 employees, 58 programs and an annual budget surpassing $40 million, Catholic Charities serves over 100,000 people in Mercer, Ocean and Monmouth counties.

Lao–Collins, 54, has been at the helm of Catholic Charities, the 10th largest nonprofit in New Jersey, since February 2011 where she has helped balance their budget and craft a new strategic plan that she hopes will equip them to continue to help the most vulnerable for years to come.

“My first job was to get the budget balanced because when I came in there was a significant deficit, mainly due to cuts from state funding that we were not even made aware were going to happen,” said Lao Collins.

“Then I had to develop a strategic plan that would keep us competitive.”

Lao-Collins’ leadership has impressed many of her peers. In the last two years, Catholic Charities has refocused their resources by expanding programs where there is demand for them and cutting down in other areas where there is overlap with other services. She has focused Catholic Charities in four areas: domestic violence; emergency and community services; children and family services and behavioral health.

“I am very impressed and pleased with Marlene’s leadership of Catholic Charities, she has a keen sense of the organizations Catholic identity and she believes in what that means for our services to those in need,” said Bishop Rev. David M. O’Connell.

Lao-Collins’ ascent to her current position was not without hard work. Born in Hoboken to Puerto Rican parents, she worked her way through college and worked up the ladder of success. After graduating from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in business management, Lao-Collins submitted her resume to various positions including the former Treasury Department with the City of Trenton.

“I really did not think I was going to get the job, I interviewed for the City of Trenton more for practice than anything else,” she said.

“They called me shortly after the interview to work as an accountant.”

Marlene and her husband Michael packed their luggage and moved to Trenton in 1983.

“We quickly set roots here in Trenton,” Lao-Collins says where she has lived ever since.

After her time with the City of Trenton, Lao-Collins lent her expertise as a comptroller for non-profit organizations and a position with the state Department of Human Services in the office of the ombudsman for the institutionalized elderly. Throughout this time she became actively involved in St. Joseph Parish in Trenton, where she served as director of religious education.

By 1999, Lao-Collins was the go-to person for the bishops regarding legislative issues and social justice advocacy. She became director of social concerns for the New Jersey Catholic Conference where, for 12 years, she advocated on issues ranging from immigration, poverty and housing.

Setting deep roots in Trenton and true to her Latino heritage, she co-founded and was a member of the Mercer County Hispanic Association and the Latina Women’s Council.

As the years passed, Lao-Collins became an influential voice among those fighting for social justice. She sat on the boards of the NJ Advocacy Network to End Homelessness, the NJ Regional Equity Coalition, the Anti-Poverty Network of NJ and NJ Immigration Policy Network.

Then in 2011 an opportunity knocked her door to lead Catholic Charities when former executive director, Francis Dolan, announced his retirement.

“Colleagues asked me to submit my resume and I said to myself what do I have to loose, so I walked by faith and through my hat in the ring,” she said smiling.

Her long tenure with the New Jersey Catholic Conferences and her passion for social justice made her a top contender in the national search to fill the executive director position.

“Her commitment to the poor and marginalized quickly became evident during the many discussions leading up to her employment. What also became evident was Ms. Lao Collins’ approach to social justice was clearly in keeping with the teaching of the Catholic Church,” said Daughter of Charity Sister Joanne Dress, Executive Director of Catholic Social Services.

Once hired as executive director, Lao-Collins got to work immediately and the fruits of her labor are becoming evident.

“As executive director, she continues the legacy of service that Catholic Charities represents and has inserted her own strong emphasis on the need to collaborate and to be responsive to the needs presented to her and to the agency. This is being demonstrated in Catholic Charities participation in the Long Term Recovery for survivors of Hurricane Sandy,” Dress said.

In the scarce free time that Lao-Collins has, she likes to knit, take long walks and take her two children on trips.

“You can catch me walking several laps around Trenton High, and I love taking the church’s youth group to Great Adventure,” she said.

Marlene attributes her success to her faith.

“My faith is part of me. I read scripture every day in the morning on my iPhone,” she said. “I have a deep and profound passion. I love what I do. My work fills me; I know this is where the Lord wants me to be”.

The opportunity to connect those who have and want to give with those who need, brings her the greatest satisfaction.

“I am blessed to have the opportunity to help everyday ordinary people while also having the opportunity to sit in a room with a governor, or our bishop, or people with significant financial resources. My role is to tell the story of the ordinary people I see every day. Because they don’t always have the opportunity to make that connection,” said Lao-Collins.